


Beyond the Trees

by Phoenix_before_the_flame



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Fluff without Plot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-09
Updated: 2020-01-09
Packaged: 2021-02-27 13:41:32
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,916
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22188019
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Phoenix_before_the_flame/pseuds/Phoenix_before_the_flame
Summary: Lucy grumbled quietly to herself, the bark digging sharply under her fingertips as she hoisted herself higher up the tree. Her foot almost slipped on a whorled knot that she guessed used to be a branch, snapped by time and sealed shut like an old wound that wouldn’t allow her to step on it.  Why was she even up here again?
Relationships: Natsu Dragneel/Lucy Heartfilia
Comments: 3
Kudos: 60





	Beyond the Trees

**Author's Note:**

> Haha yeah im still doing the writing thing! Ive just been a bit busy is all, doing art commissions and all that jazz! But i'll still keep writing thats a promise ;) Comments and kudos much appreciated and please, enjoy!

Lucy grumbled quietly to herself, the bark digging sharply under her fingertips as she hoisted herself higher up the tree. Her foot almost slipped on a whorled knot that she guessed used to be a branch, snapped by time and sealed shut like an old wound that wouldn’t allow her to step on it. 

She did it either way though. Lucy steadied herself with a heart pounding _eep_! her foot finding purchase on the same spot, stilling in her journey to regain her breath and to keep her heart from climbing any further after the scare. She glanced up amidst the tangles of branches and thick vines reaching down towards her, and clouds of grayed leaves stretching further and further than she could possibly measure. A second sky. The thought made her lips almost quirk, taking note of the scattered slivers of silvered moonlight breaking through.

The bark cracked beneath her palms and her fingers sunk even further in for a hold as the broken pieces trickled away into the still air. She squinted, the moment of reverence gone and she grumbled again, reaching out for the nearest handhold.

Why was she even up here again?

Not too far above a branch shook wildly as something leapt towards Lucy, sending down a shower of leaves to nestle themselves in her hair. Alongside the rest of the leaves she’d gathered along the way. With a light grunt he landed with ease on a thick branch a bit closer to where she was, peering at Lucy owlishly through the gloom from his odd choice of position. He hung by the backs of his knees like it was nothing, barely even swaying in his upsided downedness. The green of his eyes were almost eerie in the darkness as they ran over her unblinkingly. His arms were crossed, head tilted in a silent question of ‘ _you good_?’

Right, Natsu asked her too.

It was well after the fire died down yet sleep had failed to claim her, staring blankly up at the paled clouds of leaves with a blankness on her mind that she couldn’t quite place. Which was odd really, her mind felt so full but full of just, nothingness. Lucy’s eyebrows knitted together in slight confusion at her thoughts, her attention shifting to the almost empty sleeping bag near her housed by a lone exceed who took it all in tow, sprawled out in content slumber in its center. 

Weariness should’ve been on her, and it was- a weak thrum in her bones that was all too familiar but it didn’t bring with it the calming lull of rest. Something that was happening all too frequently in the recent days. Sad now that she was getting used to it.

She didn’t bat an eye when her partner dropped silently down in front of her, already used to his night time wanderings through the trees. It was something he always did during missions, getting a feel of each place and maybe snag a souvenir or two. He’d given her a blank look, though Lucy thought it speckled with concern as he silently pointed above. A second later he was already on the lowest branch, staring down expectantly for her to follow. And she knew he wouldn’t budge unless she did.

Lucy fixed him with a slight nod that she was fine but his eyes narrowed disbelievingly, pointedly eyeing the freshly broken branch above her head. 

“Do you need some help getting up Lucy?” His voice bounced around the air, sounding louder in her ears than it should be. “It’s kinda a long ways up.”

“I can manage just fine Natsu.” Lucy responded. She sucked in a deep enough breath and hoisted herself higher, feeling his eyes upon her back as she continued her ascent. Silly as it may be she still remembered his relentless teasing on a mission a few months ago when she needed his help to get down 'cause a bandit left her stuck in a tree. And he still liked to bring it up with an all too gleeful grin. 

So no, she’d make this climb up the tree to see whatever he wanted to show her without help thank you very much. No need to give him more ammunition for future teasings.

Lucy progressed smoothly without any mishaps, the repetitive motions almost calming as they started to come naturally, the crunch of bark under her palms a welcome sound. Natsu hung close from nearby branches, oddly quiet save for the few huffs and grunts between each jump.

He was being so cryptic, it almost had her worried at his silence and pinched brows. What was it he wanted to show her? He’d left the question relatively unanswered, giving her just another silent point to the sky then hopped along.

Treetops. Lucy silently corrected herself. The trees stretched on forever upwards and the forest they traversed through almost endless. She hadn’t seen the sky in forever it felt like, only tasting its presence when it broke through the treetops.

Absently Lucy grasped for another handhold, fingers curling tightly on a thick branch that left her hold before she could even pull herself up properly. The arm that snuck itself around her middle was a familiar one, and Natsu snickered at her surprised squeak. “You made it up this far just fine. Lemme take care of the rest of the journey for ya.”

Lucy opened her mouth for a quick retort but he cut her off as he easily clambered up the tree effortlessly even with an arm around her, wrapping a vine around his wrist to swing up and higher. They were moving faster than she could on her own and her hands cried out in relief at no longer having to grab at roughened bark. But she still wore a soft pout. He better not use this as fresh teasing ammunition.

A chill rushed over Lucy and she realized with a startled blink that they almost neared the top, the night breeze playfully nipping at her skin. She hadn’t felt that in a while. The air on the ground was so still and dead. And as Natsu broke the pair through the treetops, stuffy. Lucy greedily gulped in a lungful.

It was cold, colder than she expected and from below it was a sky but now as her partner helped her up, she saw how far it stretched. The second sky now a sea of trees that seemed to curl into waves the further out it went. 

It was beautiful.

Natsu slipped from her side and she cursed at his warmth leaving her so swiftly. Lucy took a step to follow behind him but almost tumbled face first into the leaves. Then the thought struck her. They were hundreds, maybe even closer to thousands of feet in the air. One wrong step could send her careening wildly to the forest floor. She quickly plopped herself down. Best stay put.

Better instead to watch her partner, better trusting of the trees and bounding across their tops, searching the skies intently for, something up there. Lucy’s eyes flitted up. Cignus, Big dipper, Aquila, Orion. Everyone was out tonight with not a cloud in sight for them to shy away.

“There!” Natsu exclaimed, pulling her out of her thoughts with a jolt. He pointed excitedly at a cluster of stars, 14 to be exact that Lucy knew all too well.

“That’s it isn’t it?” He asked quickly. “Your favourite one right? Cephus?”

“Cepheus, and yeah.” Lucy corrected, slightly confused. “What about him?” She stared at him rather blankly and the air turned somewhat awkward. Natsu’s eyes roamed her face, finding only blank confusion that made his hand and shoulders fall. He pulled at his scarf.

“Nothing.” Natsu said, the nonchalance in his voice painfully obvious. “I just thought it was cool is all.” Lucy fixed him with a look, a well honed skeptical one that made him look away sheepishly to the night sky.

“C'mon Natsu, I know you didn’t make me climb a tree just to see the sky.” Lucy joked, picking at the leaves she was comfortably seated on. “There’s always something more with you.” Natsu’s fingers ran through the tassles on his scarf, a habit he tended to do when he was mulling things over. He gnawed on his lip slightly, brows brought low in thought.

“Not….not this time i guess.” He said simply, glancing back at her. A silence floated between his words before he spoke again, pacing atop the treetop. “We’ve been walking through these woods for days now trying to get to the next town and it feels like forever, and that we’re walking in circles and i feel like it’s kinda my fault since i made us miss the train and all and well-”

His mouth snapped shut with a sharp _click_! of his teeth and he shook his head hard to get rid of the rambling thoughts and he sat down.Natsu turned his head to her with fingers still tangled in the tassles and a heaviness in his voice.

“ I just felt bad y'know?” He continued quietly. He kept a steady gaze with her but they shook, like his eyes desperately wanted to dart away. “Having ya stuck in these dark woods, and worse you’re not sleeping much. It wasn’t sitting right with me. And i know that this isn’t a fix it to the problem, but if you’re gonna be up all night then i made sense to me to at least let you see the stuff you love about it so much?”

Natsu’s lips thinned, a tinge of darkness soaking into his cheeks when the last words left his tongue. He finally took the chance to look away, his eyes ducking low. “It sounds kinda stupid now that i said it out loud……” he mumbled.

Lucy watched as he ran a nervous hand through his tousled hair, shaking free the last of the leaves that made home there. And her lips quirked at the sincerity of his words

No. It’s not.“ Lucy mused. "It’s really thoughtful of you.” Cautiously she stood on shaky legs, not quite trusting the thicket of closely knitted leaves and stumbled closer to him. “It isn’t your fault for any of this. And i’ve just had a lot of…..nothing on my mind to think about. But it’s really sweet of you to do this for me.”

Lucy plopped down next to him and shoved his shoulder playfully, a relieved smile already growing on his face as he dramatically fell to the side with a laugh. She leaned back on her elbows, gazing thoughtfully up at the clear night sky. The moon was nowhere to be seen and yet, everything was so bright, the stars countless in their neverending clusters and the familiar touch of their light on her skin. She really did miss them.

“Hey Lucy,” Natsu piped up beside her. “If you can’t sleep again tomorrow i’ll carry you up here again. If you want.”

“And you won’t let me climb up halfway by myself first?” She teased.

“Hey i was gonna carry you up from the get go but i saw that look on your face and knew you probably wouldn’t let me even if i asked you on the ground.” He smirked gleefully at her. “Am i wrong?”

Lucy stuck out her tongue at him. “Maybe. But i think i’d like that Natsu. I’d like that a lot


End file.
